Carbon trading no solution to climate change

Friends of the Earth Australia questions the appropriateness of the development of a carbon trading scheme between state governments announced today as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Friends of the Earth Australia spokesperson, Emma Brindal says “The adoption of greenhouse gas emissions trading as a solution for climate change entrenches the idea that markets can solve environmental problems, but it is in fact the market-based approach that has been largely responsible for environmental degradation and global climate change.”

“Furthermore, the inclusion of “carbon sinks” in the scheme, including planting forests allows fossil fuel industries to continue with business as usual while causing other problems. These problems potentially include the clearance of native forests to be replaced by plantations and loss of biodiversity.” Friends of the Earth applauds the state governments in recognising that serious action needs to be taken to avert dangerous climate change, but does not believe emissions trading is an appropriate solution to climate change.

“We need to find global solutions to the threat of climate change based on a fair share of sustainable resource use for all people, which means moving away from our fossil fuel dependency.”

“An appropriate domestic response to avert dangerous climate change would be for the Federal Government to increase its woefully low mandatory renewable energy target (MRET) of 2% to 10% and for the states to follow suit” Ms Brindal states.